Study, 1994
Do women with both PMS and anxiety who have family alcoholism drink more before their period?
Yes. 74% of women with family history of alcoholism on their father's side reported drinking more before their period, compared to only 22% without this family history.
What they did
54 women with both generalized anxiety disorder and premenstrual syndrome were asked about their family history of alcoholism and their alcohol consumption across their menstrual cycle. 41 of these women also completed psychiatric assessments during their premenstrual and follicular phases.
What they found
76% of the 54 women reported having an alcoholic relative. Of women with a family history of alcoholism on their father's side, 74% reported increased alcohol consumption before their period. Only 22% of women without this family history reported increased drinking. During the premenstrual phase, women with a paternal family history of alcoholism experienced more severe physical anxiety symptoms (but not mental anxiety) than those without.
What it means for you
Women with both PMS and anxiety who have family alcoholism on their father's side may drink more before their period and have worse physical anxiety symptoms at that time. They may be using alcohol to manage their symptoms. The main limits are the small sample size and reliance on what women reported about their family and behavior rather than objective measurement.
76%
with an alcoholic relative
74%
with paternal family alcoholism reporting increased drinking
22%
without paternal family history reporting increased drinking
About the study
- Original title
- Family history of alcoholism in women with generalized anxiety disorder who have premenstrual syndrome: patient reports of premenstrual alcohol consumption and symptoms of anxiety
- Authors
- McLeod DR, Foster GV, Hoehn-Saric R et al.
- Journal
- Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
- Year
- 1994
- Study design
- Study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb00928.x
Topics
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